November 16, 2009

the opposite of customer loyalty is...

An article in The Epoch Times announces that three new cellular providers would soon be in the Canadian market. I can hardly wait. I hate my current provider.

Now, hate is a strong word and I rarely use it. But it describes how I feel. Every now and then I even rant.

Technically, there is nothing wrong with the service. Dropped calls are rare. There are few black holes. The reception is typically very good.

Do I feel well taken care of? No. My experience is one of being 'in jail', trapped by my provider. Little things that add up. Being stuck paying for an old phone because the number couldn't be transferred when I got my blackberry, and getting out of it would have cost me $400. Being charged long distance on incoming as well as outgoing calls. Having no affordable long distance plan options. Having to sign a three year contract to make the blackberry even remotely affordable. And, judging by the meager 'upgrade' credits I am allotted, I am apparently not worth much to them as a customer, even though I have been theirs for over 5 years.

I feel no loyalty to my provider. They have made several thousand dollars from me, and I will be leaving as soon as I can. According to the article, and my own conversations with friends, many others feel the same way.

With new providers entering the market, the current big three are probably sweating. And so they should be. Through a time when nothing forced them to treat each customer well , they could have anyhow. A huge opportunity missed.